1979 Chicago White Sox season
Encyclopedia
The 1979 Chicago White Sox
season was the team's 80th season overall, and their 79th in Major League Baseball
. They finished with a record 73-87, good enough for fifth place in the American League West
, 15 games behind the first-place California Angels
.
acting as player-manager. He was relieved of his managerial duties on August 2, with the team's record at 46-60, at which point he also retired as a player. He was replaced by coach Tony La Russa
, making his major league managerial debut. The team went 27-27 the rest of the season.
in Chicago
. It was held during a scheduled twi-night doubleheader
between the Chicago White Sox
and the Detroit Tigers
. The event eventually turned into mayhem.
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
season was the team's 80th season overall, and their 79th in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. They finished with a record 73-87, good enough for fifth place in the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
, 15 games behind the first-place California Angels
1979 California Angels season
The 1979 California Angels season involved the Angels finishing first in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They went on to lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the 1979 American League Championship Series, three games to one....
.
Regular season
The team opened the season with reserve infielder Don KessingerDon Kessinger
Donald Eulon Kessinger is a former American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox...
acting as player-manager. He was relieved of his managerial duties on August 2, with the team's record at 46-60, at which point he also retired as a player. He was replaced by coach Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
, making his major league managerial debut. The team went 27-27 the rest of the season.
Opening Day lineup
- Harry ChappasHarry ChappasHarry Perry Chappas was a shortstop with the Chicago White Sox from 1978 until 1980. Though he appeared in only 72 career games, he became a cult hero on the South Side due primarily to his stature. Chappas was measured by Harry Caray and publicly declared to be 5'3", an inch or two shorter than...
, ss - Claudell WashingtonClaudell WashingtonClaudell Washington is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Oakland Athletics , Texas Rangers , Chicago White Sox , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees and California Angels...
, rf - Chet LemonChet LemonChester Earl Lemon is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A three time All-Star, he was a member of the World Series champion 1984 Detroit Tigers.-Early years:...
, cf - Jorge OrtaJorge OrtaJorge Orta Núñez is a retired professional baseball player.He made his debut with the Chicago White Sox on April 15, 1972. Through the 1970s, he played usually second baseman but also third baseman and also some outfield...
, dh - Lamar JohnsonLamar JohnsonLamar Johnson Sr. is a retired professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from 1974-1982...
, 1b - Alan BannisterAlan BannisterAlan Bannister is a retired professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Houston Astros and Texas Rangers...
, 2b - Ralph GarrRalph GarrRalph Allen Garr is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He batted left-handed and threw right...
, lf - Eric SoderholmEric SoderholmEric Thane Soderholm is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees from 1971 to 1980...
, 3b - Marv FoleyMarv FoleyMarvis Edwin Foley is a former Major League Baseball catcher and coach, former minor league baseball coach and manager, and current minor league baseball instructor. In the majors, he played all or part of five seasons, between 1978 and 1984, for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers...
, c - Ken KravecKen KravecKen Kravec , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1975-1982. Ken graduated from Midpark High School and played college baseball at Ashland University.-Fast Facts:...
, p
Notable transactions
- May 16, 1979: Nardi ContrerasNardi ContrerasArnaldo Juan Contreras is a former professional baseball pitcher and coach. His brief time in Major League Baseball, as well as the majority of his time as a coach, came with the Chicago White Sox...
was signed as a free agent by the White Sox. - June 5, 1979: 1979 Major League Baseball Draft1979 Major League Baseball DraftThe 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
- Ricky SeilheimerRicky SeilheimerRicky Allen Seilheimer is a former Major League Baseball catcher, drafted in the first round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He made his major league debut in at the age of 19, the youngest player in the major leagues at the time. His one major league home run...
was drafted by the White Sox in the 1st round (19th pick). - Fran MullinsFran MullinsFrancis Joseph Mullins is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played parts of three seasons in the major leagues for three different teams between and . He saw his greatest amount of playing time with the San Francisco Giants in , when he batted .218 with 2 home runs in 52 games...
was drafted by the White Sox in the 3rd round. - Jimmy KeyJimmy KeyJames Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...
was drafted by the White Sox in the 10th round, but did not sign.
- Ricky Seilheimer
- June 15, 1979: Eric SoderholmEric SoderholmEric Thane Soderholm is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees from 1971 to 1980...
was traded by the White Sox to the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for Ed FarmerEd FarmerEdward Joseph Farmer is a former Major League relief pitcher with an 11-year career from - and -. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Oakland A's, all in the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Gary HolleGary HolleGary Charles Holle is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Texas Rangers in 1979....
. - July 6, 1979: Rich HintonRich HintonRichard Michael Hinton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of six seasons between and , including three separate stints with the Chicago White Sox.-Draft history:...
was traded by the White Sox to the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for Juan BernhardtJuan BernhardtJuan Ramón Bernhardt Coradin is a retired professional baseball player whose career spanned 13 seasons. Bernhardt spent parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees , and the Seattle Mariners...
.
Roster
| 1979 Chicago White Sox | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Disco Demolition Night
Disco Demolition Night (also known as "Anti-Disco Night" and "Disco Sucks Night") was a promotional event that took place on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey ParkComiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It was held during a scheduled twi-night doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
between the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The event eventually turned into mayhem.
Starters by position
| = Indicates team leader |
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 65 | 202 | 51 | .252 | 7 | 28 | |
| 1B | 133 | 479 | 148 | .309 | 12 | 74 | |
| 2B | 136 | 506 | 144 | .285 | 2 | 55 | |
| 3B | 70 | 200 | 49 | .245 | 4 | 22 | |
| SS | 143 | 476 | 131 | .275 | 3 | 34 | |
| LF | 102 | 307 | 86 | .280 | 9 | 39 | |
| CF | 148 | 556 | 177 | .318 | 17 | 86 | |
| RF | 131 | 471 | 132 | .280 | 13 | 66 | |
| DH | 113 | 325 | 85 | .262 | 11 | 46 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 240 | 66 | .275 | 14 | 35 | |
| 56 | 210 | 53 | .252 | 6 | 34 | |
| 76 | 193 | 54 | .280 | 7 | 25 | |
| 56 | 110 | 22 | .200 | 1 | 7 | |
| 34 | 97 | 24 | .247 | 2 | 10 | |
| 26 | 59 | 17 | .288 | 1 | 4 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 250 | 15 | 13 | 3.74 | 132 | |
| 34 | 204 | 14 | 14 | 4.90 | 119 | |
| 28 | 190.2 | 13 | 8 | 3.54 | 72 | |
| 15 | 94.2 | 8 | 3 | 3.61 | 28 | |
| 5 | 24.1 | 2 | 0 | 3.70 | 13 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 68 | 1 | 5 | 3.57 | 38 | |
| 16 | 41.2 | 1 | 2 | 6.05 | 27 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 2.43 | 48 | |
| 45 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4.62 | 45 | |
| 24 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5.34 | 18 | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.28 | 5 | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.20 | 1 | |